The United Nations says the 7 billionth baby will be born on Oct. 31, 2011. AlertNet, the Thomson Reuters Foundation's humanitarian news website, reports on the challenges of sustaining life on a crowded planet.
With the number of people on earth more than doubling over the last half-century, resources are under more strain than ever before.
And demographers are not even close to a consensus about what to do about it.
To some, the milestone foreshadows turbulent times ahead: nations grappling with rapid urbanisation, environmental degradation and skyrocketing demand for healthcare, education, resources and jobs.
To others, a shrinking population, not overpopulation, could be the longer-term challenge as fertility rates drop and a shrinking workforce is pushed to support social safety for an ageing populace.
For more of AlertNet's special coverage including news, analysis, interviews, videos and pictures about the growing world population, click here.
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